Mountain Lion
hunting regulations.
Huntable in 14 states — 14 with general season. Click any state for the state-specific page.
Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, panthers) are the largest cat species in North America, occupying the Western mountains and increasingly recolonizing parts of their historical Eastern range. Mature toms range from 130-180 pounds with home territories spanning hundreds of square miles. They're solitary, ambush-hunting deer specialists, with population density limited primarily by deer density and intra-specific competition.
Most lion hunting in the West uses trained hounds to track and tree cats during the hunting season. California prohibits lion hunting entirely; Washington and Oregon prohibit hound use. Most other Western states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada) run season-limited lion hunts with quotas. Texas, where lions are unprotected, treats them as varmints with year-round take. Florida's panther subspecies is endangered and not huntable.
Hunting regulations change. The information on this page reflects what we know about species presence and hunt availability based on state agency listings. For current season dates, bag limits, weapon restrictions, tag requirements, and reporting obligations, verify directly with your state wildlife agency. You are responsible for confirming current regulations before hunting.
Where mountain lion can be hunted
14 states- ArizonaArizona Game and Fish DepartmentYGeneral seasonVerify →
- ColoradoColorado Parks and WildlifeYGeneral seasonVerify →
- IdahoIdaho Department of Fish and GameYGeneral seasonVerify →
- MontanaMontana Fish, Wildlife & ParksYGeneral seasonVerify →
- NebraskaNebraska Game and Parks CommissionYGeneral seasonVerify →
- NevadaNevada Department of WildlifeYGeneral seasonVerify →
- New MexicoNew Mexico Department of Game and FishYGeneral seasonVerify →
- North DakotaND Game and Fish DepartmentYGeneral seasonVerify →
- OregonOregon Department of Fish and WildlifeYGeneral seasonVerify →
- South DakotaSD Game, Fish and ParksYGeneral seasonVerify →
- TexasTexas Parks and WildlifeYGeneral seasonVerify →
- UtahUtah Division of Wildlife ResourcesYGeneral seasonVerify →
- WashingtonWashington Department of Fish and WildlifeYGeneral seasonVerify →
- WyomingWyoming Game and Fish DepartmentYGeneral seasonVerify →
Browse all species or download Bield: Hunt to start tracking sits and patterns by species and zone.